There are a wide variety of attachment systems and methods used upon clothing such as zippers, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, and the like. But, perhaps the most common of these systems and methods are the ordinary button and button hole. The button has been used for countless generations for quickly and easily securing clothing. Unfortunately, it is also perhaps the most prone to failing by having buttons fall off of clothing. Detachment usually occurs at the most in opportune time when an article of clothing is needed the most. This forces a user to expend valuable time to either sew the button back on or find an alternate piece of clothing. Many people do not possess suitable seamstress skills, thus forcing a costly repair, or an even costlier replacement of the entire item of clothing. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which buttons can be replaced upon clothing in either a temporary or permanent fashion in order to increase its useful lifetime. The development of the present invention and Method Thereof fulfills this need.
Prior art in this field consists of needle and thread systems or button backing systems. Prior art needle and thread systems attempt to alleviate the burdens associated with threading the needle; however, they still rely on weaving a thread through a button and an article of fabric as the means of securement. Some prior art needle and thread systems require elaborate and expensive needles to achieve this goal. Most prior art button backing systems obviate the need of a needle and thread all-together; however, current button backings fail to provide much needed flexibility and movement for the button. Furthermore, most backings tend to be bulky and cumbersome. Additionally, button backing systems require special buttons. It is an object of this invention to provide a system and method of securing any style button in a quicker, easier, and more effective manner. It is a further object of this invention to incorporate the best aspects of a needle and thread system with a button backing system. It is a further object of this invention to provide a means to quickly and easily couple and de-couple the thread to the needle. It is a further object of this invention to provide a more flexible securement of the button with the backing so as to obviate failure due to constrained maneuverability, as exhibited by prior art systems and methods, but without compromising the integrity of the securement.
The disclosed system and method provides a means to attach buttons to a fabric without the traditional needle and thread approach, and may be used with almost any type of fabric or button type, including shank button styles, two-hole button styles, or four-hole button styles. The system utilizes a flexible band with a retaining clip that holds a button firmly against an article of fabric. After the button has been retained in place by the system, the button is subsequently used for a means of securement for multiple articles of fabric by being pushed through a button hole. The system provides for flexibility and movement greater than that achieved by prior art button restraining systems, techniques, and methods due to the flexible band.
When installing a button, the flexible band is first coupled to a specially designed needle. The special design enables a user to easily and removably couple the band to the needle as opposed to threading it through an eyelet portion of a needle, as is done with prior art needle and thread systems. After being coupled to the needle, the flexible band is received by the retaining clip. As the retaining clip is maintained at a stationary position at a rear face of the article of fabric, the band is threaded through a rear of the fabric. The band is then threaded through a button aperture of a button located at a front face of the fabric. It is then threaded back through a button aperture, and through a front face of the fabric. This process may be continued to provide a desired level of securement. The needle is then de-coupled from the band, where installation may be completed by fastening the retaining clip in place about the band. The various components of the system are available as a kit that comprises multiple bands, retaining clips, and at least one needle contained in a case.